Clean shore power for large offshore vessels

If
everything works out, large offshore vessels, while moored in the Port of
Rotterdam, will be fully powered by green electricity. Heerema Marine
Contracters, energy supplier Eneco and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding to make this happen in the near future. The
use of shore power for moored vessels at this scale is an industry first in the
world.

A vessel is
not only operational when she is sailing the high seas. Once moored in a port,
a ship is not shut down. A moored vessel needs electricity for all kinds of
functions. Large generators generate this energy, but with the help of fossil fuels.
Running the generators results in noise and emissions. Heerema Marine
Contractors wants to avoid that with an ambitious plan to connect their vessels
with the shore to get their electricity. And when their vessels have sailed off,
working on projects, others ships are welcome too.  

“We plan to
build 20 Megawatts worth of electrical infrastructure at the Calandkanaal in
the Port of Rotterdam,” says Vincent Doedée. As Sustainability Advisor of
Heerema Marine Contractors he is the initiator of the project. “Next to that,
it is our intention to give our fleet, when in port, 100 per cent green energy.”
Heerema wants to use local wind turbines to generate the electricity.

Heerema
cannot realise this project alone. Because of the reach and complexity,
partners are needed. “Our main partners are energy supplier Eneco and the Port
of Rotterdam Authority. Each organisation has its own expertise. Together we
are going to do this project.” The first official step was the signing of a Memorandum
of Understanding to jointly perform a feasibility study on the creation of
shore power infrastructure in the Calandkanaal.  Katja Langen, Director Business Development of
Eneco, Saskia Rijtema, COO of Heerema and Yvonne van der Laan, Director of
Process Industry & Bulk Goods at the Port of Rotterdam Authority signed the
memorandum. 

The idea
behind the Shore Power Connection is that a ship uses electricity from the
shore to power. Every time a vessel visits the shore, a large plug is connected
to the vessel. In order to fully electrify the vessels of Heerema Marine
Contractors in the Calandkanaal, a shore power connection of approximately
20MVA is required. This is pending the current feasibility study.

Not only the
infrastructure on the shore has to be developed. The vessels have to be
adjusted too. “It is envisioned all vessels – Sleipnir, Thialf and Aegir – are converted to
accommodate shore power while retaining their functional capabilities,” says
Doedée. The focus is not only on the input, but also on the output. “We are definitely
looking at energy efficiency onboard. Especially the cranes have our intention.
They need a lot of energy and we are analysing how they are used when moored.”     

Connecting
Heerema Marine Contractors’ fleet to the grid by sustainable energy will
provide a significant reduction in terms of emissions and noise. Due to the
fact the diesel generators will be switched off shortly after the vessel is
moored, nearly all emissions – CO2, NOX, SOX and PM – will be eliminated by
Heerema in the channel. In the future, even more vessels could be connected to
the grid to reduce the (carbon) footprint even further. In addition to the
emissions saved, noise generation will be reduced significantly too.

Heerema
will not use all the capacity of the Shore Power Connection. “Our vessels will be
out doing their jobs. That leaves the charging station available for other
vessels. We are looking for other ship owners who are interested in shore power
in the Calandkanaal.”

At the
moment other organisations have committed themselves to the project. “We are
looking for additional partners and subsidy/grant providers that can assist and
facilitate in this feasibility study phase. The addition of other marine
partners who are interested in mooring in the Calandkanaal could potentially be
beneficial to the development of shore power in the Rotterdam area, as risks
will be reduced for all parties involved,” says Doedée. “We believe that
together, by freely and openly sharing information, we create a sustainable and
economically feasible business case that is a win-win situation for everyone
involved.”

At the
moment the Calandkanaal is being redeveloped. In line with the ambitions of the
Port of Rotterdam, a lot of projects are sustainable. A new LNG bunkering berth
is constructed and artificial tide pools are installed to improve marine life.

This
article was previously published in Maritime Holland magazine, issue 5, 2018